1st Communion

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MontChevalier

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Hello everyone,

I would like to say that my 1st Communion will be this 24th of November and I’m excited, but I do feel a little nervous. I have no clue how this all works, or what I’m exactly suppose to do. And I’m also interested in attending a Latin Mass in the next town city from here, I called them to verify when they would do a Latin Mass, but they never returned my call. 😦 I want to see it.

Then I’m going to be attending my Confirmation classes. 🙂

I really need some advice on what to do…
I’m going to officially be a Latin Catholic this month! 😃

-MontChevalier
 
Are you being prepared for your 1st HC? Who is preparing you?
 
Your RCIA course should be preparing you for your first Holy Communion and Confirmation. If they haven’t given you enough information for you to know what to expect, ask questions.

My Church has a Latin Mass (2002 Missal) at 11:00 on the third Sunday of every month. It’s exactly the same as an English Mass - just in a different language. I suspect you may be a few thousand miles away.
 
dconklin said:
Are you being prepared for your 1st HC? Who is preparing you?
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Yes. A deacon. Am I suppose to know something I haven’t been told? Much of what the Deacon has been teaching me is the Rosary, the prayers, the symbolisms, the clothes, meditation. I feel like I’m missing something…

-MontChevalier
 
MontChevalier said:
Yes. A deacon. Am I suppose to know something I haven’t been told? Much of what the Deacon has been teaching me is the Rosary, the prayers, the symbolisms, the clothes, meditation. I feel like I’m missing something…

-MontChevalier
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Are you looking for basic mechanics on how to receive? To receive in the hand, put your dominate hand underneath your non-dominate hand, step up to the priest (or whoever) and hold them up (as in not down by your waist). The priest will say “The Body of Christ” you say “Amen” and bow your head. The priest puts the host in your hand, you use your dominate hand to pick it up and put it in your mouth. Same idea to receive on the tongue except you keep your hands folded in prayer and after saying amen, stick out your tongue.

Same basic idea for the cup, but you grab the cup by the top cup part with both hands, take a small sip and return it.

As for the specifics like how the other details work in your parish, that will be a question for your deacon.
 
Much of what the Deacon has been teaching me is the Rosary, the prayers, the symbolisms, the clothes, meditation. I feel like I’m missing something…

-MontChevalier

Well, the things you mentioned (except for the prayers) are very superficial and really not what I would consider to be important to the faith. I think you ARE missing something. like God’s revelation of Himself to us throughout history, Scripture, Tradition, the Trinity, Liturgy, Eucharist as the true presence of Christ and what that means for us, the social mission of the Church, the Church itself…I could go on and on but the things you mentioned are not what Catholicism is about-only on a very superficial level
 
Philomeena said:
Much of what the Deacon has been teaching me is the Rosary, the prayers, the symbolisms, the clothes, meditation. I feel like I’m missing something…

-MontChevalier
Click to expand...
Well, the things you mentioned (except for the prayers) are very superficial and really not what I would consider to be important to the faith. I think you ARE missing something. like God’s revelation of Himself to us throughout history, Scripture, Tradition, the Trinity, Liturgy, Eucharist as the true presence of Christ and what that means for us, the social mission of the Church, the Church itself…I could go on and on but the things you mentioned are not what Catholicism is about-only on a very superficial level

Is it possible these will be covered during Confirmation Classes? :confused:

-MontChevalier
 
How long have you been preparing with the deacon? Does your parish not have an RCIA process? While intended for Catechumens (those who have not been previously baptized), Candidates benefit greatly because the process starts with basic religious themes (who is God, how was he revealed to us, Scripture, etc) then moves through a process that gets closer to what we believe as Catholics.

That those topics you mentioned are what your deacon deems as important to the Catholic faith concern me regarding his formation process. For example, the Rosary is a personal devotion. It is not a prayer that is necessary to being a practicing Catholic. I am not saying there are no benefits, but it is certainly NOT a requirement. The clothes and symbolisms are merely that…clothes and symbolisms. Interesting, but again, very superficial.
The Eucharist is the source and summit of who we are and what we do…have you talked about transubstantiation, the true presence of Christ in the substance of the Eucharist, why we partake, why bread and wine? What about Reconciliation? Have you experienced that Sacrament yet as is appropriate before receiving Eucharist for the first time?
It is okay to slow down…seek, learn, savor
 
MontChevalier said:
Yes. A deacon. Am I suppose to know something I haven’t been told? Much of what the Deacon has been teaching me is the Rosary, the prayers, the symbolisms, the clothes, meditation. I feel like I’m missing something…

-MontChevalier
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Most likely the deacon will prep you.

After I was received into the church, the priest actually had me kneel and practice with an unconsecrated host, a day before my first communion! I didn’t want to ask him about how to stick out my tongue since I was getting one-on-one and I thought it would be awkward. :o

Feel free to ask him to show you how to receive. In case he forgot about prepping you, he’ll make sure he does.
 
TrueLight said:
In terms of overall Catechesis, we used this series of books, and I cannot say enough how excellent it is.

A Course in Religion: Book 1 - Chief Truths of the Faith
A Course in Religion Book II - Mass and the Sacraments
A Course in Religion Book III - Catholic Morality

These books were lent to me and I gave them back, but they were so wonderful, I’m thinking of buying them for my library. 👍
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Thanks, these books are already on my amazon wishlist. 🙂
Philomeena said:
How long have you been preparing with the deacon? Does your parish not have an RCIA process? While intended for Catechumens (those who have not been previously baptized), Candidates benefit greatly because the process starts with basic religious themes (who is God, how was he revealed to us, Scripture, etc) then moves through a process that gets closer to what we believe as Catholics.

That those topics you mentioned are what your deacon deems as important to the Catholic faith concern me regarding his formation process. For example, the Rosary is a personal devotion. It is not a prayer that is necessary to being a practicing Catholic. I am not saying there are no benefits, but it is certainly NOT a requirement. The clothes and symbolisms are merely that…clothes and symbolisms. Interesting, but again, very superficial.
The Eucharist is the source and summit of who we are and what we do…have you talked about transubstantiation, the true presence of Christ in the substance of the Eucharist, why we partake, why bread and wine? What about Reconciliation? Have you experienced that Sacrament yet as is appropriate before receiving Eucharist for the first time?
It is okay to slow down…seek, learn, savor
Click to expand...
Well, let’s see, I started around late-August on the 27th. I’m in my eleventh week of RCIA classes. The deacon told me today was my last day and that on the 24th of this month, I would take my first communion. Today he had me eat the small circle bread…thing…I don’t what it’s called, unleavened bread? Or was it leavened? It tasted like something…I’m trying to define the taste…oatmeal? I don’t know. But that’s basically what he made me do today. Then he gave me a short test. I doubt he was really going to have a look at them.

And no, he made no mention of Transubstantiation, and no, he made no mention of why we partake from the bread and the wine. Is this all normal? :confused:

-MontChevalier
 
You have been on the forum for some time, have you already educated yourself?

The Deacon may assume you already know these things.

Do you understand that the host and the wine have become the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ? That we see the accidents of bread and wine but that even the smallest bit that looks like bread or wine is Jesus?

Do you know what to do if you drop the host or spill the wine?

Do you know that you must have made a good confession and be free from mortal sin each time you receive?

Do you know that you must fast from food or drink (anything except water and medicine) for one hour before you receive?

Do you know to approach with your hands folded, to bow at the waist before you receive (or to genuflect if you desire) and to say “AMEN” when Father holds the host or cup and says “Body of Christ” “Blood of Christ”?

If not, go to your Pastor - he is responsible to be sure you are prepared to receive.
 
Castello said:
You have been on the forum for some time, have you already educated yourself?
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I’m still in the process of understanding the Catholic Church. I’ve read several books. Some by Saints, other about Saints, and the Holy Bible. There are still some things I don’t quite understand, but I’m working on it.
Castello said:
The Deacon may assume you already know these things.
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Why would he do that? :confused:
Castello said:
Do you understand that the host and the wine have become the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ? That we see the accidents of bread and wine but that even the smallest bit that looks like bread or wine is Jesus?
Click to expand...
So the bread and wine that we partake during communion is Jesus, right? His blood and flesh, right? I remember Jesus saying that in the Bible, during the Last Supper.
Castello said:
Do you know what to do if you drop the host or spill the wine?
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…drop the host?? :confused: Spill the wine??? I thought we were suppose to drink it…
Castello said:
Do you know that you must have made a good confession and be free from mortal sin each time you receive?
Click to expand...
This one I was told I needed to do. So yes. I’m aware of this one, and I should start my first confession some time next week or the week after.
Castello said:
Do you know that you must fast from food or drink (anything except water and medicine) for one hour before you receive?
Click to expand...
Yes. I recall this one aswell.
Castello said:
Do you know to approach with your hands folded, to bow at the waist before you receive (or to genuflect if you desire) and to say “AMEN” when Father holds the host or cup and says “Body of Christ” “Blood of Christ”?
Click to expand...
…this one is a big sort of. A maybe. The Deacon was suppose to say something about The Blessed Virgin Mary and then I had to say some words, which I just can’t recall. 😦
Castello said:
If not, go to your Pastor - he is responsible to be sure you are prepared to receive.
Click to expand...
If anything, I have the deacon’s phone number.

-MontChevalier
 
MontChevalier said:
…drop the host?? :confused: Spill the wine??? I thought we were suppose to drink it…
Click to expand...
If the host should fall as you receive, you are to retrieve the host and consume. If you spill he blood when the chalice is given to you, the priest or altar servers will get a special cloth to clean the spill. You stand still (or move if they tell you to). If it spills on your clothes, then, you would get instructions after Mass from your priest how to clean it up the proper way.

This is not just bread and wine, remember.
MontChevalier said:
This one I was told I needed to do. So yes. I’m aware of this one, and I should start my first confession some time next week or the week after.

Yes. I recall this one aswell.

…this one is a big sort of. A maybe. The Deacon was suppose to say something about The Blessed Virgin Mary and then I had to say some words, which I just can’t recall. 😦

If anything, I have the deacon’s phone number.

-MontChevalier
Click to expand...
Your first Holy Communion should be administered by a priest (after that it may be a deacon or a lay person). They hold up the host and say “Body of Christ”, you respond with “AMEN”, then stick out your tongue or place your hands in the proper way to receive. Same for the chalice, the minister says “Blood of Christ” and you respond with “AMEN”.

Nothing will be said about Mary during reception of Communion.

The deacon is assisting the Pastor. Your pastor is responsible to make sure you are prepared. Call the church office and make a meeting with him.
 
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